


The Breaking of the Oath

by gingayellow



Series: The Paladin of Arus [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:12:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: As King Takashi Shirogane struggles to bring peace to his world, his Paladin (and husband) Keith Kogane doubts his usefulness to the King. That seed of doubt is enough for outside forces to nurture into something that even true love may not be able to conquer. [Shiro/Keith, AU]





	1. Chapter 1

Title: The Breaking of the Oath (1/4)  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: Fantasy AU. Part of the Paladin of Arus verse. I don’t think you have to read all of that to understand this, but it might help.

\--

 

King Takashi Shirogane smiled at his Paladin, Sir Keith Kogane, serenely. “Keith, I don’t need you.”

Keith balled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to put his hand on his sword hilt. He was fully aware of the king’s responsibilities, and the formal rules—this was a closed meeting, so not even close guards were allowed. Only those with political power or born into privilege were pemitted. Keith was an orphan and a former thief. A lot of these people wouldn’t even look him in the eye. 

But a lot of these people were also not trustworthy, so Keith had to at least try to convince Shiro to at least bend the rules. “I won’t go in. I’ll just stay outside and scan the crowd—” Shiro pressed metal fingertips against Keith’s mouth.

“Keith. You and I both know you read the crowd when they first arrived. Did you sense anything off?”

“No,” Keith admitted. “But you won’t have a lot of friends in there either, Shiro. Your only real ally right now is Princess Allura.”

Shiro nodded. “I know. But,” he added with a dark grin, “I plan on twisting some arms until I have some more friends.” The grin softened into something gentler as Shiro took Keith’s face in hands. “I’ll be fine.”

Keith sighed heavily, knowing too well he had lost this argument. “I hate this part of governing.”

“I’m not thrilled with it, either, but it must be done.” Shiro kissed him briefly (too briefly). “Do me a favor and meet some of the Alteans Allura brought with her? I know it’s not protecting your king, but it would save me a little time, at least.”

“Of course.” Keith frowned. “But do you really think they’d be satisfied with only the King’s Paladin?”

“First, never refer to yourself as “only” anything ever again. And if their discernment is good enough to realize how amazing you are, it will be. And I will make this up to you tonight, I promise.” Shiro kissed him again, but lingered a little longer. “I’ll make this up to you tonight, I promise.”

“I’m holding you to it.” Keith smiled and waved as Shiro disappeared behind the heavy meeting room’s door. 

As soon as Shiro was gone, Keith dropped the act. He should have pushed. Yes, Shiro was stubborn, but so was he. And his vision was vague, but it held the truth—the truth that the kingdom was in danger. But… he couldn’t articulate that enough to even convince Shiro, his husband and the one person who had never given up on him. And Shiro had no obligation to agree with him. He was a grown man—and the king. He didn’t have to listen to anyone, especially Keith. 

…. Maybe meeting some of these new Alteans wasn’t such a bad idea after all. 

Keith made his way down the hallway when a mustached “Olkari” greeted him. “Why, hello, stranger! My name is Ollie the Olkari, and I was wondering if you would point me in the direction of the buffet.”

“Sure thing, Coran.”

“Why thank you, Keith—what, how did you know?!” Coran shrugged dramatically as he shifted back into his true form. “Oh, I know. Your amazing mind reading abilities saw through my clever disguise.”

Keith smiled, a little. “Well, that and you kept your mustache. It’s a little unique. It might have helped if you did away with that.”

Coran glowered at him. “This is not just a mustache, my boy. This,” he said with a bitter twirl of said mustache, “is a fashion statement.”

“Of course.” Keith walked with him down the hallway. “So, Allura kicked you out as well?”

“Yes.” All the dramatics were gone, and Coran looked more like a worried father than anything else. “And Lance is off visiting his family, so there’s not much for me to do but try to surprise people.” He gave Keith a sideways grin. “But that didn’t work.”

“Sorry.” 

Coran waved a gloved hand at him. “Just means I have to brush up on my acting skills, is all.” They passed a window, where a sunbeam made Coran’s red hair gleam brilliantly. “This probably isn’t what you want to hear, Keith, but you should get used to Shiro doing dangerous things you object to.”

“You’re right. I don’t want to hear this.”

“But, you have to!” Keith would have bristled at that, but Coran’s tone wasn’t scolding. Just resigned. “I mean, do you think I’m okay with the Princess in there with all those cut-throats? Or fighting on the front lines? Or when we first met Lance!” Coran chuckled heartily. “I think I tried to kill him three times until Allura assured me that he wasn’t a threat.”

Keith found himself laughing as well. “To be fair, we’ve all tried to kill Lance half a dozen times.”

“There, see? A good sense of humor will get you through the tough times!” Coran placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “That, and being there for Shiro, no matter what.”

“I know. And thanks.” Keith wished that made it easier. It didn’t, but it would have to do. “Well, want to greet the Alteans with me?”

“You know me,” Coran said as he pushed back his hair. “I’m a wacky guy who’s always ready for parties.”

They had reached one of the common areas, where there were twenty Alteans, according to Keith’s rough count. He reached out with his mind—nobody felt off. Keith frowned. It should be the other ways around—Shiro should be greeting these gentle people, while Keith dealt with the leaders who were looking for the first sign of weakness in the Arusian king. But Shiro had always been the better talker. 

“They feel pleased to be here,” Keith whispered to Coran.

“That’s because they are,” Coran assured him. “While the court was wary about opening our borders, you’ll find that many of our scientists and alchemists are eager to help our new allies usher in a new era of peace.”

Keith glanced at Coran. “Alchemist? I’m not familiar with that term.”

“Our own definition is nebulous, I’m afraid.” Coran was pouring himself an extra-large glass of space juice. “They’re scientists, but they also deal with magic and quintessence, and how it can be applied practically to our realm.” He took a sip. “Some of them are mind readers as well.”

“… Really?”

“Really. Some of the biggest strides concerning understanding psychic ability have come from Altean mind readers. You should come to Altea one day; there are many more mind readers there than here.”

Keith nodded. That was most likely a good idea. He’d never been trained—except by Haggar, who’d “blessed” him with the ability to drain life from others. Some help would be nice, but he couldn’t burden Shiro anymore than he already had. “Maybe after these meetings are over, I’ll consider it.” His duties came first, of course. They always would.

“Wonderful! Oh, hold on. I just spotted someone who might explain these things better than I could.” Coran maneuvered through the crowd, returning a few ticks later with a woman in practical clothes, and her hair tied back in a bun. She smiled at Keith as she held out a hand. Keith took it. She felt…

_Warm._

She felt warm. And friendly. What a relief.

“This is the young man I told you about, Sir Keith Kogane,” Coran said, pride seeping into his tone. “You should keep your eye on him. He just turned twenty, and he has abilities you’ve only theorized about.”

The woman’s smile broadened. “In that case, I’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

That was… 

_Good._

That was good. It meant that she didn’t think he was a freak. Maybe Keith could trust her after all. “I don’t believe I caught your name.”

“That’s because I’ve only recently joined the Alchemist’s Council. I’m still a bit of a mystery.” There was a hint of mischief in her voice. “You can call me Honerva. I look forward to working with you, Sir Keith Kogane.” 

\--

Final Notes: First, I’m sorry that this installment took so long to get started. ;; The end of the semester was way too much for me, and I’ve had some health problems (nothing major, but it has eaten up time/energy), so yeah. But at the risk of cursing myself lol, this story is plotted out and fairly short, so I’m hoping to have it done before S6 drops. After that, there’s one more Really Big installment (and it will conclude this series, although I plan to rewrite the second part/add some tiny epilogues). 

(BTW, I'm still mad that Coran cannot canonically shift shape :/)


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Breaking of the Oath (2/4)  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: Here I am, sneaking in not so subtle conflict and also canon references. ;;

\--

The gathering was busy, but Honerva seemed focused on Keith. If anyone else (usually Coran) tried to speak to her, she would politely send them off, then return her attention to Keith. And her attention was all consuming. He wanted to know his age (twenty), favorite colors (red and gold), how long he’d been serving as a Paladin (almost a year), and how long he’d been married to the king (only a few months). Normally, it would upset him that someone was asking him so many questions. It should bother him that someone was asking so many questions, but… she was so friendly. Disarming. It reminded him a little bit of Shiro.

_Shiro._

“It must be hard.” Honerva’s gaze was fixed on her drink. “The one you love is so close, but there’s almost nothing you can do to help.”

“How did you know…?”

You’re the king’s husband and Paladin, and you’re stuck out here with a bunch of nerds like us.” She smiled at Keith gently. _Being a mind reader helps as well._

… Oh. _That explains some things,_ Keith thought at her. Maybe that explained his, well, desire to trust her—and Keith wasn’t a trusting person. Maybe that was how it was like, when you were around other mind readers. Not that he really had a lot of experience. The only other mind reader he’d ever known had been his mother.

 _I apologize if I’ve been too forward._ Honerva placed a gentle hand on his arm. _Altean mind readers are a little bold. You’re the first Arusian mind reader I’ve ever met; I don’t know your culture’s traditions.”_

 _ _That’s because Arus doesn’t like mind readers._ _ Keith gazed down at her hand. People weren’t usually that… touchy-feely with him, with the obvious exception of Shiro. But it wasn’t like it was a bad thing. __Honestly, I was an outcast until I was lucky enough to meet—meet the King._ _

__I see._ _ Honerva eyed him critically, but she wasn’t judging him. __Then am I correct in assuming that you’re an untrained mind reader?__

 _ _You’re correct._ _ Keith’s mouth quirked upwards. __Although I’ve had a lot on the job training.__

__So I read in the papers._ She gave some of the King’s guards watching over the exit a rueful look. _Of course, they frame it so that King Takashi was the only one there.__

__… Why wouldn’t they?_ T_ his was the first negative pulse Keith had felt from Honerva—and it was strong enough that it set him on edge. __The King is the one fighting for his people. He inspired me to fight for his people. If it weren’t for Shi—King Takashi, I wouldn’t even be here._ _ He promptly banished her voice from his mind. He would not tolerate any poor talk of Shiro, ever.

Honerva merely smiled as the connection was forcefully broken. “I guess I touched on a nerve.”

“You better believe that you did,” Keith spat out.

“Thus, I will take my leave. But Keith,” she said evenly as he placed a light hand on his shoulder. “I sense that there’s something on your mind that you need a fellow reader for. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She grinned as she tapped her left temple, then departed to speak to a female Altean with teal marks on her cheeks.

And that was more than fine with Keith.

“Everything okay?” Coran chirped, a refilled cup of space juice in his hand. “You two seemed to be hitting it off.”

“Key word ‘seemed’ here,” Keith informed. “I’m going to inspect the grounds.”

\--

Honerva had no idea what she was talking about.

Keith could lead others in missions. But he couldn’t inspire them—that was a rare talent. In fact, he’d though it hadn’t existed until Shiro saved him, and he agreed to become his Paladin only a few weeks after their first meeting. No one else had the patience, the focus, or the brilliance to rebuild Arus after a generation of gradual corruption.

Keith swung his dagger once in the air, hoping the action would take the edge off his emotions. It didn’t.

He didn’t care what Honerva said—or what Shiro said, when it came to this. He was a tool—a blade for his King in battle, and a balm for Shiro at night.

Shiro was all that mattered.

\--

“Good evening, love,” Shiro yawned as he stumbled into their apartment, setting his crown on the table. “Anything interesting happen while I was busy baby-sitting the nobles?”

“Not really. Come into the kitchen; dinner’s ready.” Keith huffed as he did his best to smooth out the wrinkles in the kitchen tablecloth. Hunk was always better with delicate fabrics like this.

“Of course.” Judging from Shiro’s voice, he was currently in their bedroom. “Just let me change.”

“Dinner will be ready in a few ticks.” Keith reached his mind out for a moment—Shiro felt tired, and stressed, but no more than he usually was after a long series of meetings. Satisfied for now, Keith taste checked the casserole one more time before pouring the water for himself, and wine for Shiro.

“I never want to hear about estate borders again,” Shiro grumbled, now dressed like a commoner—but brightened when he saw what was waiting for him on the table. “Is that…?”

“Cheese casserole. Hys gave me her recipe.”

“You must’ve poke around in her head, because there’s no way she would have parted with that willingly,” Shiro said as he settled into his chair. “I should know: I’ve tried multiple times.”

“I did not,” Keith assured him haughtily.

“You did her laundry for a week, didn’t you.”

“Two weeks.” Keith started piling casserole on his own plate. “And it was worth it.”

Shiro made some strange noise between a chuckle and a groan as he swallowed his first bite. “Amazing. Even better than Hys. Even better than Hunk.”

Keith scoffed. “You are a biased judge.”

“Not when it comes to cheese,” Shiro swore. He took another bite. “Now, you’re not going to like what I’m about to ask yet.”

… Keith could sense it. “Shiro—”

“I can’t help it. I worry about you when you have those nightmares, just as much as you worry about me when I have bad nights.”

“It was nothing.”

“Maybe,” Shiro conceded. “But Allura was telling me about how there are some mind readers in her court. Some of them are attending her for this trip. We could—”

_**NO.** _

_S_ hiro kept his gaze fixed on Keith, but remained silent, at least vocally. _All right. It’s your choice, Keith._

Dinner was finished in silence.

Along with the rest of the evening.

\--

Keith was pulling the blankets over his body for an early night when Shiro settled in next to him, his left arm wrapped around Keith’s middle. “Are you gonna go to bed mad at me?”

“Of course not.” Keith shifted so he could look at Shiro, kissing his shoulder tenderly. “And I’m sorry.”

“Keith, I was making you feel uncomfortable.”

“Yes, but I could have tried explaining that.” Keith moved up, kissing Shiro’s neck, appreciating the noise Shiro made. But… “I better stop. You feel exhausted.”

“Lies.” Shiro’s eyes were closed, and he was breathing deeply and evenly. “I am alert and ready…” He started snoring.

Keith settled down next to Shiro until he was sure that he was truly asleep. He kissed Shiro on the forehead, and slipped out of bed, then the apartment.

\--

Keith chose a bower in the courtyard for his work. When it was this late, he didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering him. Now he just had to deal with the chilly night air. And the possibility of passing out with no one to help him.

Keith shivered, wishing that he’d brought a thicker coat. He would have to be extra careful.

He placed a spare blanket on the ground, then sat down, closing his eyes. He just needed to center himself. Concentrate. Find out what was threatening Shiro—

__Shiro’s limp form is swallowed by darkness and shadow, and there’s a face, a face he knows only too well…_ _

“…M-mother?”

__No, it’s not, it’s—_ _

“Haggar!” Keith’s scream echoed in the serene darkness of the courtyard. It was only because he sent some soothing thoughts to the guards that he didn’t cause a disturbance.

He was shaking so hard, he nearly collapsed as he stood up, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. Shiro was in danger. Haggar was still alive, and he knew he couldn’t defeat her alone. He hated it, but he was going to have to trust someone else.

\--

Honerva glared at Keith sleepily. “What couldn’t wait until morning…oh, quiznak, you feel terrible, come sit down,” she stepped aside so Keith could enter, then went for water. “What happened?”

“You said you could help me? You know, with the thing only another reader could help me with?”

Honerva gazed at him levelly, pitcher in hand. “I did.”

“Then tell me how to defeat another mind reader. Please.”

Honerva smiled ever so slightly. “I’ll be happy to teach you.”

_\--_

Final Notes: Anyways, I just finished the 1985 Thundercats series and now I don't know what do. ;_; That was one wild ride. Also: I have hopefully fixed the formatting (thx, Ao3 :/), but we shall see. I apologize for any remaining formatting issues.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Breaking of the Oath (3/4)  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: Shiro starts to realize that something is wrong with Keith.

\--

 

The nightmare wasn’t bad enough that Shiro woke up screaming, but it was enough that he found himself in his bed, head aching and chest tight, reaching out for a husband who wasn’t there for him. Where was Keith…

Oh. Right. He was training with Honerva.

Shiro pulled the blankets around him, trying to find the warmth he’d lost since Keith had started training for so long, and for so often. He understood why Keith was training—he was worried that there were threats to the crown. He supported Keith’s training. He knew there were things about Keith’s abilities he couldn’t understand, but Honerva could. He was a king who understood that his Paladin was only trying to improve his already formidable skills.

But right now? The crown was tucked away, he was freezing under their blankets, and he only wanted his husband.

Carefully, legs unsteady, Shiro wobbled to the small closet where they kept their clothes. Metal fingers sorted through the closet’s contents until he finally found what he wanted: Keith’s favorite cloak. It was black with silver trim, and heavy enough to keep him warm even in winter.

“I’m so weak,” he whispered even as he inhaled deeply. It was selfish. It was hideously selfish. Keith had lost so much because of his abilities. Now someone was offering a world where he would be treasured—and he could become even stronger. What could Shiro offer in comparison? Working for a kingdom that clung to old hatreds, no matter what speeches he made or reforms he introduced. 

Keith would tell him that it would be fine. Don’t worry about it. In the morning, things would be better.

(But Keith had also left him.)

… This was pathetic, even for him. Shiro forced himself back to bed, but he refused to put away the cloak, clinging to it as he did his best to sleep again.

\--

“You okay, Shiro?” Hunk’s brow was knit in concern as he scrambled eggs. “That’s the third time you yawned in the past hour.”

“I’m fine. I’m just sleep deprived because of negotiations.” That was partly the truth.

“See, this is why I’m glad that I’m not the ruler.” Pidge’s gaze and hands were fixed on Shiro’s metal limb, making the small corrections that came with maintenance. “Hey, is it true that the Galra…”

“Are trying to make peace? Yes and no.” Shiro frowned, trying to figure out how he could summarize the past few weeks. “They’ve had an ambassador named Acxa send us scrolls requesting a meeting.”

Pidge made a face as she kept working. “Meet with the people who’ve tried to kill us multiple times? I think not.”

Shiro nodded. “However, the same Acxa has calmed down things at the borders. She’s arrested any Galra pirates, and minimized the guards patrolling the Arus-Galra border. I can’t speak for her bosses, but she at least seems sincere.”

“Yeah, but that’s the problem, isn’t?” Hunk was setting the table. “There’s still no accepted leader for the Galra. It’s only because of generals like Acxa that the Empire hasn’t fallen apart.” 

“And that’s why discussions have been going at a snail’s pace,” Shiro confessed. No one trusted the Empire—Allura especially. Iverson most especially. He understood why—he’d lost an arm. But Acxa so far was trustworthy. Hard-working and decent—he wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she reminded him of Keith. But personal biases aside, he couldn’t make a formal decision until Zarkon’s successor was chosen. He’d asked Acxa, but her answer was always the same: wait for the flame to be lit. 

_Shiro?_

“Keith?” Shiro breathed, rising up—only for Pidge to drag him back down.

“You can’t move right now—I need you steady, or the wires will get fried!”

“But Keith—”

“Keith, get your butt in here!” Pidge bellowed, loud enough for Shiro and Hunk to flinch.

But to Shiro’s relief, Keith did step in—his hair was tangled, and there were shadows under his eyes. Had—had he slept at all? “Hunk, get him some water. And eggs.”

“Already on it,” but Keith waved Hunk away. Hunk scowled fiercely. “Keith, I get you like the doing the brave warrior thing, but you have to eat.”

“I’m fine. Honerva is making brunch for me. I’m just here to talk to Shiro.”

“Of course,” said Shiro. At least he was here and talking. As long as Keith was here, maybe Shiro could convince him to stay a little longer. “What do you need, love?”

Keith gulped, looking terrified. “You said that me guarding you for this afternoon’s meeting is optional, right?”

“… Yes. Your presence is not required.” He was meeting with Allura. He would be safe.

“Then I request to be relieved of duty for this afternoon.”

“Of course,” because what else could Shiro say?

“Thank you,” Keith said, oblivious to Hunk and Pidge’s stares as he took Shiro’s face in his hands, forehead resting against Shiro’s. _This is for you. I will protect you._

Shiro closed his eyes. _But Keith, who will protect you?_

Keith pulled away, eyes red-rimmed but resolute. _I’ll see you tonight. I promise._

When the door closed behind Keith, Hunk made a fretful noise. “I don’t want to tell you how to live your love life Shiro, especially now that you’re the king, but—”

“But you need to talk to Keith,” Pidge finished for him. 

“I don’t know where to begin.” He hated it, but it was true. “He’s a grown man. I can’t dictate his life for him. But his whole life revolves around Honerva now. He doesn’t even come to bed anymore, and right now was the first time…”

Pidge closed the panel on his arm. “First time for what, Shiro?”

“This is the first time in three weeks that he’s been in my head.” It was strange, admitting that out loud. Have Keith in the back of his head—Keith’s soul merging with his—was intimate in ways he couldn’t explain. 

Hunk sighed heavily. “I like Keith, but he’s really single-minded. Especially about protecting you, which is what Honerva claims she’s doing. You’re going to have to talk to him.”

“I know.” Shiro swore silently that after his meeting with Allura, he would. 

\--

He knew Allura. She was one of his few real friends in the nobility. While surveying and noting trade routes between Arus and Altea was not interesting, it was still more fun than working with Iverson. It was also nice to hear Allura discuss Lance, and helping comfort her about eventually meeting Lance’s parents, and—

Keith was screaming, raw and white-hot and pain and no, **no** , he had to find Keith, Keith was in trouble—

“Shiro?!” Allura was holding him upright. “Is Keith—”

“Yes. He’s in trouble.” Thank the spirits that Allura had psychic abilities of her own. He didn’t have to explain everything.

Thank the spirits that Allura could also half-carry him to Honerva’s apartment, because he was still weakened from the panicked message Keith had sent him. 

“Honerva!” Allura banged on the door. “I request an audience.” There were voices, but the door remained locked. Allura huffed, helping Shiro lean against a wall. “Very well, then.” Allura knocked the door down with a well-placed kick. 

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Honerva said, checking Keith’s pulse. “I couldn’t answer the door because I needed to make sure he was stable. He overexerted himself in a vision.”

Strength returning to his limbs, Shiro bolted into the room. “Is he going to be okay?!”

“Yes. He just needs rest. If you want, I could—”

“No. I will nurse him.” Shiro sounded furious, but oh well. That was how he felt. Honerva’s face was motionless—how anyone could remain that calms when their student was in agony was beyond him. He mentally filed that away for when he told Keith that he didn’t think Honerva had his best intentions at heart. 

But right now, all that mattered was Keith. “Love.” He held him gently. _Love._ No response. “Allura—”

“I will speak with Honerva. You go.” Good. He wouldn’t have to worry about Honerva sneaking into their apartment to poke at Keith’s brain again.

He just needed to get Keith out of here. Watch over him. Then everything would be okay.

\--

Pidge frowned down at Keith, lying motionless in the bed he shared with Shiro. “Is he okay?”

“Yes.” Shiro refused to accept otherwise. “It’s not with the other visions. He just needs to sleep. That’s all.” And stay very, very far away from Honerva.

Pidge was still frowning. “That’s true. I just wish that we knew more about mind reading—and that our one big source wasn’t kind of creepy.” 

“Well, she won’t be a problem for much longer,” Shiro murmured, brushing dark hair from Keith’s eyes. Altean or not, she had nearly gotten Keith killed. Exiling her was too much of a diplomatic risk, but he could banish her from the main castle. Either way, she would never see Keith again. Shiro would make sure of that. 

“Listen, I’m going to talk to Coran. Allura too, if she’s available.” Pidge stood up, hugging Shiro briefly. “They might have some insight on this.”

“Okay. And thank you.” He took Keith’s hand in his left one, trying not to dwell on how cold it was. 

_You’ll be okay, Keith,_ Shiro thought fiercely, squeezing Keith’s hand.

Keith didn’t squeeze back.

\--

Final notes: Well, this was fun to write. :/ Again, rest assured that these boys will eventually have a happy ever after. It will take awhile, and there will be melodrama! But eventually, there will be a happy ending, I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Breaking of the Oath (4/4)  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: Last chapter of this part of the verse. I am hoping to get the next series started in the next few days. ;;

\--

“Please, Allura.” It took every last ounce of self-restraint Shiro had to keep his tone level. “Tell me what I can do to help him.”

Allura rested her long, delicate fingers on Keith’s brow, eyes closed in thought. “Keith is… still processing something. I can feel him, but I can’t reach him.” She opened her eyes, sighing heavily as he leaned back in her chair. “I’m sorry, Shiro.”

“M-maybe I could try. Is there any way—”

“Shiro.” Allura looked very, very tired. “You know that’s impossible.”

Shiro bristled, metal gears whirring as he right hand became a first. “No, you don’t know how deeply connected Keith and I are. He’s part of me, I can’t just stand here while—”

“Shiro!” Allura tone was authoritative, but not cold. “I can’t make a connection if Keith won’t speak to me.”

“You mean…”

“I told, he’s processing something.” Allura smiled sadly as she brushed Keith’s hair from his eyes. “And you know how stubborn he is.”

“I know,” Shiro breathed. He loved and hated that about Keith. “But he’s been like this for nearly two days.”

“It is perplexing,” Allura admitted. “I’ve never heard of a mind reader needing this long to recover. Normally, I would call Honerva, but I don’t think that’s an option.”

“I’ll burn the castle to the ground before I let her near Keith again.”

“I believe you.” Allura frowned. She was deeply upset with Honerva herself and planned to relieve her of her position once these meetings were finished. However, she was also the one person who knew what had happened to Keith—and was, frustratingly/predictably cryptic about what had happened. Allura herself was stumped, and she was an expert mind reader. This meant she had only one real option.

“I’ve ordered the bulk of my father’s library concerning mind reading and quintessence,” she told Shiro. “King Alfor didn’t possess as much raw talent as Keith—I suspect no one else does—but his research is still unparalleled. If there’s an answer, it will be in his work.”

“Thank you,” Shiro managed. “And I’m sorry for yelling. I just… if I lost him…”

“You won’t,” Allura said firmly as she stood up, and kissed Shiro on the cheek. “Now get some rest. Keith needs his husband at full strength.”

“Thank you. And I will,” Shiro lied, although to his credit he felt guilty as Allura smiled at him before leaving. But there was no way he would sleep right now.”

\--

_Shiro._

“Keith!” Shiro gasped out, bolting upright. He—he had fallen asleep. Blast it. But Keith…

 _Yes, Shiro. I’m fine._ Keith’s eyes were closed, but he was stirring. _Could you help me sit up, please?_ Shiro helped him, propping him up against the pillows. Keith yawned, and **finally** opened his eyes. “Much better.”

“Oh, Keith.” Shiro hugged him gently. “I—I was so scared—” The past few days of fear and isolation finally came out in a stuttering chain of words and tears. He clung to Keith as if Honerva was planning to snatch Keith back, but she couldn’t have him, she **couldn’t**. 

“Everything’s fine, Shiro.” Keith kissed him gently, like he had the same fears that Shiro would vanish. “Everything will be fine.”

Shiro nodded tearfully, taking Keith’s face in his hands. “Love, what did she do to you?”

Keith looked way from Shiro. “She didn’t hurt me.”

“Keith—”

“She didn’t hear me. She helped me with a vision. It was… intense,” Keith finished ruefully. 

“You were out for two days!”

“I know. And I’m sorry for worrying you.” Before Shiro could tell him that he didn’t need to apologize, Keith continued. “But now I know the threat that’s coming to the kingdom.”

Shiro took a breath. He wanted to focus on Keith, but Arus was still their priority. “What did you see?”

“Lotor’s trying to make a moved against us. Which is why,” Keith said with a heavy sigh, “I have to go.”

“No.” Shiro felt like he was going to throw up. “No. Keith, you can’t. I need you—we all need you.”

“Shiro, you know about what I can see. And I won’t be gone longer than a few days. It’s like any other mission you’ve sent me out on.”

“But we’re partners, in every sense of the world.” Shiro took Keith’s hands, making sure Keith caught sight of their wedding bands. “I’ll go with you. I’ll send someone with you—”

“Shiro.” It was strange, to see Keith this calm. This sure of himself. It was everything Shiro wanted for Keith—except he wanted to leave. “It can only be me. I’m doing this for us. And it won’t be too long.”

“… Are you sure?”

“I’ve seen it.” Keith kissed him again, soothing the frayed edges of Shiro’s spirit. “I’ll stay in contact. All I need is three weeks.”

Shiro hated it. But… “If you really feel that this is best, I won’t stop you. But I’ll be here for you.”

Keith smiled, which despite everything steadied Shiro. “I know that, and that means everything to me.”

\--

A week later, Sir Keith Kogane was riding through the outskirts of Arus, trying not to think about how Shiro had blinked back his tears when they’d said good-bye. He didn’t deserve Shiro’s tears. Not after what he had done.

“It’s good to know that at least someone in King Takashi’s court is concerned about who sits on the Galra throne.” Honerva stepped out of the shadows. “I know you feel like a liar, but trust me, the king will understand once you stop Lotor.”

Keith willed Rose to stop, then hopped off. “All I care about is saving the king.”

Honerva smiled disarmingly. “And you will. As long as you’re willing to sacrifice everything for that which you love.

\--

Final note: Another fun chapter to write, especially with all the stress S6 is bringing. :/ The boys will be reunited, it’s just going to take a while. (And yes, I did indeed reference S4 there)


End file.
